Headphones

[Alpha]

What kind of headphones/earbuds do you use, if at all?

I recently went through two pairs of Skullcandy. While giving pretty good sound quality for what I paid for them (NZ$80), they both crapped out. Luckily, both were within the same warranty. So for 8 months, I borrowed two pairs of headphones (which they will not be able to re-sell), for an $80 bond. Mucho gracias, amigo.

But I'm not going back to those. I'm getting something a little better. Not extravagantly better (though that would be awesome). But I've decided I want something with a closed-ear (I like how it feels and looks, and is better for the health of your ears, while providing some filter for outside noise (meaning your music is clearer, and you don't need it so loud)), but also collapsable (foldable... whatever the term is), so I can put them in my pocket or in my bag, as I only use headphones when out and about.

Talking to friends, looking in shops, and mulling over the Internet, I'm currently favouring these.

What do you think?

And what headphones do you use? Have you put much thought into your decision, or do you just stick by the trusty 'phones that came with your device?

[The_Dream_Recluse]

I usually use either Sony or Philips headphones/earphones. At the moment though, i'm using the Apple iPod default ones since my Sony ones have started playing up a few days ago. I'm considering saving up for a decent pair of big headphones that i can use to tune out all outside sounds.

[Josh_R]

I can never seem to keep a pair of headphones for very long, thus I don't like to spend an obscene amount of cash on them. I usually go to wal-mart an pick up a pair of JVC Gummies, they cost $10 a pair. They have decent sound quality, and are very cheap.

I had a pair of like $80 skull candy headphones, and they didn't last very long at all.

[Michael Swayne]

I use a pair of RCA something-or-others (I don't know anything about them except that they're from RCA). They cost me $2 at the Dollar Store. They have interchangeable skins (Black, Red, Blue, and Silver). Only, I can't seem to remember where I put them. Right now, I have the Black on. I like to coordinate my headphones with my outfit, and I can't do that right now.

[Lily]

I break headphones all the time so would never spend any more than about a tenner on them, even that would be pushing it for me. As long as they fit in my ears proper thats all im fussed about

The shortest life my headphones have had was less than a day, Im a ****ing nightmare, dont think any have lasted more than a few months ):

[Yoko]

I have skullcandy. Tried and tested. They have lasted me about 8 months now. And I use them regularly. The cool thing about where I bought them from is that I have 3 free replacements within a 2 year period. No matter what. Say one breaks or the earbud stops working, I can just take it in and get it replaced. No extra cost to me. I didn't need to pay extra when I first got them, and they were $20CAN. That's a damn good deal if I do say so myself.

I can't find earphones that fit into my ears most of the time. The ones what come with most mibile devices are too big for my ears. They hurt after a long period of time...or just fall out because they won't stay. The skullcandy earbuds fit perfectly. The ones that actually go into the ear...They're comfy too. Yay for small ears!

[Unknown Entity]

By far, the nicest closed ear ones are these. They were cheap(er) when my mum got hers though - something like £150. I hate closed-ear headphones, so that said it all for me.

I have a pair of Phillips in-ear ones. They have memory foam buds, which cancel out a lot of noise, and the sound on them is amazing. They've lasted me about two years too, which says something about their durability... and even better, they've been through the washing machine too, and came out sounding BETTER than they ever did. How much? £11.25 on a clearance sale at Argos one year. I needed a replacement, and I could afford these out of all the reviews I read.

[Rowan]

I prefer the clip on ears type. I have gone through about 6 pairs of headphones over the years. I cannot stand the plugs, one always falls out of my right earlobe. I also have a pair of regular sony headphones that give fantastic bass. I usually wear those when im playing video games on the laptop, otherwise people might mistake me for a DJ if I walked down the street with them on. You know the kind.

[Rocky]

I've been using these for almost two years now. Steep price but incredible audio, useful for xbox/playstation/pc gaming, comes with a built in headset that works for console/pc gaming, and are extremely comfy to wear. The only downside is they're not very practical to have milling about on the street or whatever, but if you mostly use them for what I have stated above, then check em out!

Also alpha I think I've taken a look at what you've sent me before, but yeah Sennheisers are king of audio, I think those would suit what you are looking for quite well.

[Xanatos]

I have these excellent Genius headphones I use for my PC, they were bit expensive but if you want an ultimate gaming experience it's only natural some things will cost.

As for the ones I use for my MP4 and mobile, the cheaper they are the better. I'm clumsy, I break things rather fast so why not save some money by buying cheap Chinese SOMY headphones. Being Chinese copy and all, I'm rather surprised how much some of these headphones last, and what they can endure.

[Dodie16]

Like many others in this thread, I have gone through multiple sets of headphones. I have gone through many brands too, ranging from dirt cheap to a little pricey, though I've never paid more than 30 bucks for a set of headphones. I also usually stick to the earbud types. I just like them better.

I'm happy with the kind I have now. They're from Sony. Had them going on a good year (maybe longer), and haven't had the sound go out in one of the buds, which tends to happen to me.

[Tallulah]

I have a habit of taking out one of the earphone buds and swinging it around. This has caused the earphones I use with my iPod (pink JVC ones) to depreciate in sound quality. I really need some new ones. They don't cancel noise, either. Simon, a guy I work with, is always making fun of me for the noise leakage when I walk into work.

The best ones I have are a pair of Sony ones which I used to use with my MiniDisc player (yeah, I had one of those...). Until recently I had been using them with the headphone jack on my laptop. Since I live alone now I don't bother using them. They are the best quality sound, though.

[Maridia]

Cheap $20 Sony headphones, been using that style my whole life it's just how I roll. Ear buds never have felt right for me. And I've used peoples noise canceling which are nice. I just can't justify for myself. Especially when I go through maybe 1 pair of the cheap version a year.